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Hello friends... 🤗 Hope you all are fine...
I know you all must have long forgotten me...😆 The sudden downpour here yesterday reminded me of this short story I had written long ago... Nothing great 😆 But now that it was already written, just thought of posting it...
Hope you like it...
YAADEIN...
Abhijeet had come to drop Daya home. It was a tiring day at work. Abhijeet didn't get off his bike. He just waved at Daya.
"Main chalta hoon, yaar" Abhijeet said.
"Arey, andar toh chalo! Kitne din hue sahab ne mere ghar ke andar kadam rakhe..." said Daya. Both laughed heartily.
"Achha theek hai, tum itna keh rahe ho toh... Lekin zyada der nahi yaar, thak gaya hoon..." replied Abhijeet.
"Pehele aao toh!" said Daya smiling.
Abhijeet parked his bike near the gate and both walked in. "Kya hai yeh Daya!" said Abhijeet looking around, "Sab paudhe sookh gaye hain!"
Scratching his head and making a sad face, Daya replied, "Arey yaar, woh Ramu chhutti pe hai ek hafta. Do din maine paani hi nahi daala..."
Abhijeet looked at Daya with fake anger. "Shaadi toh ki nahi abhi tak jo biwi bachchon ka khayaal rakhna pade... Buss yeh paudhe hain, kum se kum inka toh khayaal rakho!" Daya just smiled. Abhijeet walked near the plant which he had gifted Daya a few months back. "Dekho bechara kis haal mein hai, agar isay kuchh hua na toh chhodunga nahi main tumhein!" he said strongly.
Daya was laughing by now. "Buss buss, bohot hui nautanki... Kal subah paani daalunga, okay? Ab chalo bhi andar!" he said unlocking the door.
Abhijeet smiled and walked in.
*****
Cool breeze felt good as Abhijeet and Daya sat there chatting over a mug of coffee. After about an hour, Abhijeet got up to leave, "Main nikalta hoon Daya... Kaafi late ho gaya!"
"Aaj yahi so jaao, kal subah chale jaana..." suggested Daya.
"Arey nahi yaar... Main chalta hoon" replied Abhijeet. "Halki baarish bhi shuru ho gayi hai" he said peeping outside, "Aaj bade dino baad bike nikaali... Zyada use hi nahi ho rahi thi, socha aaj bike le jaaun... Kya pata tha achanak baarish hogi... Iss se pehele ki baarish ka zor badhe, ghar pohochna hoga"
Just as Abhijeet was about to leave, it began pouring down heavily. "Lo!" he said in disappointment.
Daya laughed saying, "Barish bhi yehi chaahti hai ki tum ruk jaao yahan..." But Abhijeet was upset. "Arey itne mayoos kyun ho gaye tum... Yaar tum har pal itne serious mut raha karo... Try to enjoy the moment at times... Achha lagega..." said Daya.
Abhijeet glanced at Daya with a serious face. "Enjoy?!" he asked sarcastically, "Iss mein kya enjoy! Bekaar mein baarish aa gayi... Abhi tak ghar pohoch chuka hota main!"
"Oh ho... Kya yaar tum bhi" said Daya. Abhijeet bhi na, kuchh zyada hi serious rehta hai humesha... Kuchh karna hoga...
Daya saw Abhijeet standing near the door, waiting for the rain to stop. Daya pulled Abhijeet into the veranda. "Arey kya kar rahe ho?" asked Abhijeet confused.
"Baitho yahan!" ordered Daya forcing Abhijeet to sit on the stairs. Daya too sat beside him. "Dekho toh... Kitni achhi baarish ho rahi hai... Aur tumhaare paudhon ko paani bhi mil gaya, dekho! Kya khushbu hai mitti ki... Ahaha!" said Daya, trying to lighten up his buddy's mood. Abhijeet just smiled faintly. "Aisi baarish dekh ke na mujhe bere bachpan ke din yaad aate hain" said Daya recalling his childhood days at Mamta Foundation. "Pata hai, jab main chhota tha tab bijli ke kadakne se bohot darta tha" he laughed as he said that. Abhijeet let out a broader smile as he listened to Daya curiously. Daya continued, "Abhi sochta hoon toh bohot hansi aati hai, lekin tab haalat kharaab ho jaati thi... Wahan jo mausi hoti thi na, unke room mein jaata tha bhaag ke! Lekin phir ek-do saal baad darr khatam ho gaya, thaan liya tha maine ki strong banna hai, kisi cheez se nahi darna!" Abhijeet was enjoying as Daya continued, "Hum log itni masti karte thay baarish mein sab mil ke... Baapre! Poora bheeg jaate thay... Woh paani mein koodna, ek-doosre ke oopar paani uchhaalna, keechad mein khelna, kagaz ki kashti banana, uss staff ka humein daanta... Haha... Ek ek ko pakad ke andar le jaate thay... Aur kabhi kabhi baad mein garma garam bhajiye! Waah!!" Daya was so involved while telling all this as if he had gone back to those days. Abhijeet was engrossed in Daya's story. He had a constant smile on his face as he listened to his buddy. Daya then asked looking at Abhijeet, "Tumhari bhi toh hongi bachpan ke baarish ki kahaniyan... Main bhi toh sunu..." and then he suddenly realised that he had asked the wrong question.
Abhijeet looked away with a faint smile. He stared at the rain drops hitting the ground near his feet. "Kaash mujhe bhi mera bachpan yaad hota... Kaash mere paas bhi aisi yaadein hoti jo main zindagi bhar treasure kar paata..." he said sadly as his eyes watered. "Kaash..." he whispered.
Daya was feeling guilty for having asked that question. He could feel Abhijeet's pain.
Abhijeet suddenly felt a splash of cool water on his face. "Kya kar rahe ho yaar Daya!" he said cleaning the water off his face.
"Kabhi kabhi bachpana bhi karna chahiye, Abhijeet... Kabhi khud ko khush hone ka mauka toh do!" said Daya pulling Abhijeet out in the rain.
"Kaisi khushi!" replied Abhijeet, "Arey mere pocket mein jo hai sab geela ho jaayega! Kya kar rahe ho!"
Daya quickly kept the things in his pocket in the veranda and insisted Abhijeet to do the same. "Aisi baarish mein khul ke bheegne ka maza hi kuchh aur hai Abhijeet!" he said. "Apni baahein failaa kar khud ko baarish mein sama jaane do... Sab tensions, dukh, saare problems bhool jaao kuchh palon ke liye... Dekho kitna achha lagta hai..."
"Kya hai yeh sab, Daya?" asked Abhijeet, not really interested in getting drenched.
"Yaadein!!" replied Daya flashing his sweet smile.
"Yaadein?" asked Abhijeet, confused.
"Haan... Yaadein de raha hoon tumhein... Iss baarish ki yaadein... meri yaadein..." replied Daya, "Taaki kuchh saal baad tum yeh na keh paao ki kaash mere paas bhi aisi koi yaadein hoti..."
Those words of Daya touched Abhijeet deeply. He looked at Daya thinking how much he cared. Daya looked at Abijeet and dramatically said, "Ab 'thank you' keh ke mujhe paraya mut kar dena..!!"
Both laughed heartily as the rain blessed them with happiness.
*****
Cricket
Anupamaa
15